On Thursday 6th July I was up early, busy with plant watering and animal duties then I worked 9am to 4.30pm. After feeding the cats, getting the hang of who’s indoor and outdoor, I decided a quick trip to the shop was a good idea. I spent €13.30 (£11.41) on Prosecco, crisps and chocolate at Big Family supermarket then decided to stop at a bar. I ordered a cheeky Milokleftis cider with ice at Yamas bar and sent a message to Louise to see if she had finished work. Shortly after, she arrived and ordered a coffee but another Milokleftis and a cocktail arrived. What was a quick drink after work with a new friend, turned in to quite an impromptu evening. After a few ciders I decided I couldn’t be bothered to go home to cook so suggested we eat out.
Louise and I both love Valentina’s restaurant in Lardos and it was very close by. We opted for a white wine each then I had a carafe of red wine while Louise ordered a lemonade then a passion fruit cocktail. There was a complimentary pumpkin soup which was very tasty. We had the amazing cheese balls and some garlic bread to share for starters and we both ordered steaks with mushrooms and onions for mains. Once again we got complimentary dessert of baklava with ice-cream and watermelon ouzo shots to round off the meal. It was amazing and I was impressed with the food, yet again – I’ve never had a bad meal there. The total bill came to €79 (£67.79) which was reasonable for what we had and I went home with a doggy bag! I think Xena disapproved of me coming back drunk without her parents, but they were due back tomorrow.
I had the luxury of being flexible on the hours I worked, however Steve and Michelle had to be ‘at work’ early on Monday 3rd July. I woke up still very red in places and my eyelids and back were clearly sunburned. As Steve and Michelle have bathroom scales I thought it wise to get on them. It was time to face the music and compare my weight now, to when I was last here. I was 4.2kg (9lb) heavier today than when I last used these scales back in May. I worked from 10.30am until 1pm then broke for lunch. Michelle made us burgers with cheese and chorizo wraps which were very tasty. I worked from 2pm to 7.45pm with a break to say bye to Steve and Michelle as they were off to Crete for a friend’s wedding. I was looking after Xena, the dog, the 6 house-allowed cats, a clowder of outdoor cats and I was looking forward to having a bit of a rest.
My day started with a Captain Caveman video call on Tuesday 4th July, he tried saying hello to Xena but she wasn’t receptive. I was up by 6am as Trixie wanted breakfast, and LuLu was so hot that she tried to cool her bum on the freezer door. I worked from 9am until 11am with Trixie trying to help again. After a quick lunch I did a few more hours work and decided to finish about 4.30pm for cat and dog feeding. I went to the bakery for some bread and called at the ABC supermarket in Lardos square where I bought the following;
I didn’t think the prices were too bad for Europe and I got some pork and cheese so I was happy with that. In the evening I watched TV and even got some snuggles from Milo, the (not so) pissy cat.
I was up and about early on Wednesday 5th July to feed and check on the animals. Lulu was particularly eager to get fed and Xena was happy to run about in the garden. I did my measurements to find my bust and hips had not changed but my waist had increased by 2cm. I worked from 8am until 6.30pm with breaks for meals, garden watering and pet tending. I did try to stick to Slimming World again and didn’t have any alcohol so was doing well. In the evening I watched TV and spent time with the pets before having an early night.
Steve and Michelle had invited me to join them on a friend’s day trip on Sunday 2nd July. We were about to cruise the open sea on a private yacht with Lindos Daily Cruises and what a delight it would turn out to be. We had to be at the boat to meet everyone at 9.30am and at 9am all 3 of us were still flapping about shoving last minute swimmers and sunglasses in to our beach bags and getting in to the car. We parked up at the top of the hill, overlooking the sea at Lindos then walked down the hill. I was glad to have my porter sandals on as we hurried down the steep streets. At the bottom, we met Louise and waited for the others to turn up. The lady who had booked the boat, Tracie, was India’s mom and they had 3 friends (Jen, Ines and Izzy). Steve was the only male and instantly became our cabana boy. We had a crew of 2 fellas who were very nice and we were reminded that the yacht trip was until 3.30pm, included free drinks, lots of swim stops, snorkelling equipment, an underwater camera, lunch and fresh fruit. I felt very lucky to be invited and knew it was going to be an awesome day as Steve passed round the bubbly, white wine and got himself a cold beer. Our host, Tracie, was lovely and I liked her straight away. She told us of an adventure with some goats on a beach a few days ago and we had a good old laugh. On one of the swim spots, Tracie, Ines and I decided to swim to the beach, I think it was called Red Sand beach, for obvious reasons. Tracie and Ines raced ashore while I took my time, thinking it might be further than it first looked. When I approached the shore, there were goats and the sunbathers were feeding them fruit and sandwiches. It was so sweet and Tracie thought they might be the same goats. We decided to swim back, Ines was like an athlete but Tracie and I found it a bit harder against the current. At one point she swallowed a wave and started to cough, I thought the yacht was getting further away. We were knackered when we finally climbed back onboard and we were both desperate for water. It’s probably worth mentioning that I’d neglected to reapply my factor 50 suncream after getting out of the sea! Lunch was served and Tracie had put in a special request for traditional moussaka with salad. The food was so tasty, the portion size was absolutely huge and they were not shy with the all inclusive drinks. It was a wonderful boat trip with such lovely company and the free flow fizz meant I didn’t notice how much sun I was catching.
At 3.45pm we were having a drink at the Lindos Yacht Club all giddy from our amazing day out. That’s when I noticed I was sunburnt! The walk back to car was easier but quite hot and the car was like a sauna as we blew off the salt and sweat on the journey back to Lardos. Steve continued to be super helpful, even though his cabana boy duties were redundant, and sprayed my face with Aftersun. This was looking good for tonight’s plans that my boss had given me pink eye! Steve and the photographer had an evening meeting with a client, while I was to accompany Michelle, back in Lindos.
We arrived at Lindian House bar and restaurant which is absolutely gorgeous, in an old building with a courtyard for cocktails and a veranda with Acropolis views. They had a great cocktail and drinks menu so we both ordered a drink and sat in a comfy chair admiring the place. We spoke to one of the owners and our waitress encouraged me to take a look at the view point in the moonlight. I could have stayed all night but we had more business to take care of and to get back to pick up Steve. We decided to pop in to 404 Bar to see Louise, she was also sunburnt like me and we did look a pair! Rob played some real blast from the past tunes, which Michelle and I loved, but we couldn’t stay long. Next, we drove to Dapapa Lounge to pick up Steve and were offered shots of over proof alcohol with the photographer. I had to decline, my sunburn and heatstroke had taken their toll and I could hardly get up or down the spiral stairs to the toilet. We got home and after another dousing in Aftersun and a naked blast in front of the fan, I was good for nothing but sleeping.
Photo credit – various photos used which were taken by guests/crew onboard
I woke up in Lardos at 3.45am on Saturday 1st July as it was 7.45am in Vietnamese time. I got up, had a pee and then tried to go back to sleep. I woke back up at 8.50am and checked the weather for my stay in Rhodes, it looked nice and sunny. July’s plans were already looking good (not for the diet, though) as I would be spending time with friends and family, continuing to make the most of being able to go on boat trips and live like a tourist for a little bit. It was also the month when Captain Caveman and I would start to get back to how we used to be before Covid, and be able to plan for the rest of the year and in to the next. There was so much to do, so many people we wanted to see that we really needed to get organised. I was also on the look out for a 2024 diary as I had already started to agree to some more pet and house sitting stints, but only for friends or reliable pet owners for short periods. I was looking forward to spending the next 9 days at Steve and Michelle’s house and I hoped that I could get back on with eating healthier before I went back to Dalyan, where I’d catch the last 6 days of my parents’ holiday.
As it was the weekend, Steve and Michelle were not working in their office but they did have some work to do later. I was still so tired as the last time I went to bed was the equivalent of their Wednesday afternoon!
Michelle drove the 3 of us to Pefkos and we went to the Irish pub for breakfast. We all ordered the full English and I gave my eggs and tomatoes away. The food was nice and just what I needed to sort me out. It came to about €16 (£13.68) each, including coffees and orange juice. In the late afternoon Steve and Michelle had some business to attend to in Rhodes Town so I went along for the ride. They also needed to grab a couple of bits so we popped in to some clothes shops where Michelle and I got a couple of garments each. In Zara I bought a black and white polka dot dress which I thought might be nice for Pamela’s hen party and I also saw a knitted vest which was unusual. I wasn’t going to try them on but thought the queue wasn’t too big, it turned out to be quite a long wait but both items did fit and I bought them for just under €30 (£25.66). Finished in town and each of us with a bottle of water, we set off back towards Lardos, stopping at Intersport for some holiday essentials for Steve. I spotted some canvas pumps which looked like Converse but were comfier and only €14.99 (£12.82) in the sale, so I bought them. On the way back we called for a gyros and a quick beer at a lovely cafe on the main road, Augustine’s it translated to on my phone. The food was amazing and I enjoyed the Alpha beer too. I paid the bill and here’s the prices in Euros; 1 Alpha 500ml beer 3.90 2 Corona beers 8.80 3 Pork Gyros 10.50 Total spent 23.20 Euros (£19.80) I thought the prices were very reasonable for Rhodes but still a little over the prices of similar in Dalyan.
Back home at Steve and Michelle’s, they had a work event that they needed to quickly shower and change to go to, I was begging for mercy with jet lag and said I’d stay in to look after the pets (even though they didn’t need it). I had a lovely night in front of the TV watching something I don’t remember while playing with Xena, Milo, Trixie, Lulu, and Bella. By 11pm I was in bed with a fan on as it was nice and warm. I knew I needed to be up and about early tomorrow as Steve and Michelle had invited me on a day out.
The flight from Doha to Frankfurt left on time at 01.40am on Friday 30th June. I was tired and tiddly on account of a 4 hour lounge and my head thinking it was 05.40am, which was Vietnamese time. I was in seat 45F but it was irrelevant as I dozed off before take off and woke up not knowing where I was. I watched a film and got more free food and drink on the plane but I was so tired I couldn’t tell you what I watched. I landed at 7.15am in Frankfurt, which was rather a shock to my system. I had 7.5 hours to kill before my next flight and my first impressions of Frankfurt airport weren’t very good. I had 3 pieces of luggage and the trollies could only be accessed with a Euro, which were in my cases somewhere. I found one, went to get a trolley and the machine didn’t work. It was also only 19°C so I had to unpack to get out the only fleece/warm clothing I had with me. Feeling very tired, I decided to see what time I would be able to check my luggage in, as all the cafes were upstairs and the airport was mega busy. The airport looked quite grubby too but the staff at check-in made up for all the shortcomings. I was allowed to check in straight away and was so relieved to get rid of my luggage and get row 5C on my Condor flight. Once through to the other side, I saw a sale in a shop, called More and More. There was a nice dress which would be ideal for Pamela and Glynn’s wedding next month so I tried it on. It was only €20 so I decided to get it and went to the counter. Upon paying, there was a further discount which meant it only cost me €13.99 (£11.97) so I was very pleased and even went back through the sale rack to check if there were any more suitable items – there weren’t. By 10.50am I was a bit peckish and decided there was only one thing to do, when in Frankfurt. I paid €6.50 (£5.56) for a big Frankfurter hot dog from a mobile stand – possibly the most expensive hot dog I’ve had but it was so good. I’d have probably enjoyed a second one had there not been a massive queue. I decided to buy some snacks from a shop in Terminal 1, Level B so I spent €13.14 (£11.24) on a juice, a KitKat and a packet of tapas style meat and cheese. Just before it was time to board my 3rd flight, to Rhodes, I bought a small bottle of wine and a cheese pretzel at a cost of €11.59 (£9.91). I boarded at 2.30pm and by 3pm we were off and I was nodding off.
I arrived at Rhodes airport at just after 7pm on and went to get my bags, I didn’t even bother with a trolley this time. My journey had started 41 hours ago and I was very tired but excited to be seeing Michelle and Steve again. Rhodes airport was extremely busy so I waited outside for Michelle to pick me up, as arranged. Without any WiFi or a phone that works in Europe there was no way to contact anyone so I decided being at the front of the airport near to the exit was a good spot. Michelle arrived, I shoved my luggage in to her car and we set off on the drive south to Lardos. Steve was out working and was going to join us later as it was Friday night and we were off out. By 10.07pm I was out of the much needed shower and saying hello to Trixie the cat who was waiting for me in my room. Xena, the dog, remembered me and went giddy for attention as well as wondering how much luggage I had. I was so thankful to be in a country where I wasn’t sweating profusely and even went out in jeans and a shirt. It looked like Dalyan would be a lot hotter than when I left but still manageable compared to Vietnam. Michelle and I were in Cuckoo’s Nest having a cocktail by 11pm and I really was flagging from the long journey. In my head it was already 3am on Saturday but at least I’d sleep tonight.
My 30 day Vietnamese visa expired on Thursday 29th June so I was leaving and going back to Turkey via Rhodes. By 6am I was in the car to Saigon airport, which Captain Caveman had paid 400,000vnd (£13.20) for. By 6.24am I was in the check-in queue for my first flight, to Doha, Qatar. I’d previously had a bad experience at Doha airport and had not been since but now the price of the ticket had swung it. Qatar Airways is one of the best airlines to fly with too so it was time to try Doha again. I hoped it would be ok as I had a 12 hour 20 minute lay over there, which was going to hurt! Saigon airport was easy but pricey as I paid 178,000vnd (£5.87) for a very nice ham and cheese baguette and by 9.10am I was sat in my pre-booked seat, of 34C, ready for take off. I’d been given the opportunity to upgrade to business class for about $1,000 but I didn’t take it. I actually found the economy seats on Qatar Airlines so much comfier than on the Scoot Airlines flight I had taken out here. I’d definitely done the right thing selecting a Gluten Free meal as it was pretty bland but suited me well; prawn salad to start, a chicken stew with veg, two lots of corn bread and jelly with fruit for afters. Free drinks were a godsend too as it meant I didn’t have to worry about getting enough water, which was lovely. When I landed, I knew I had to occupy myself in Doha airport until I could board my next flight at just after midnight. I have a lounge pass but was determined to not use it straight away, so I waited until I’d been there a couple of hours. I did everything leisurely and walked for miles checking out the airport – there were a lot of expensive designer shops. Doha airport has definitely cleaned itself up since I was last there and I was impressed with the garden area and the fact that you can get drinking water very easily for free. At 3.15pm I was in the lounge and had some nice food and quite a lot of wine for the next 4 hours. It was big, but busy, and had a few too many naughty children in it to feel relaxed, despite one of the manager’s attempts to control their behaviour. I spent the last 3 hours of the day just wandering about the very empty and quite chilly airport, willing the time on for me to get on my second flight, to Frankfurt in Germany.
Wednesday 28th June was a sad day as it meant saying goodbye to Captain Caveman. As it was a Wednesday and the hotel had no scales, I took my measurements. I found that there was no change to my bust or waist but I’d put 1cm on my hips – that wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be! We started the day with breakfast at a coffee shop of Captain Caveman’s choosing. The Workshop was up some stairs, the service wasn’t great and the croissants we ordered automatically came warmed up and with condiments. Captain Caveman had 2 Espressos with his and I had an earl grey tea. I was sad that Captain Caveman was flying back to Dong Hoi this afternoon but I was grateful he’d been able to come to Saigon. He was back to work with his Oxalis briefing this evening and in the cave tomorrow. After a leisurely breakfast, we paid the bill and headed back to the hotel, here’s what we paid in Dong.
The Workshop 2 Croissants with butter and jam 110,000 2 double espressos 150,000 1 earl grey tea 45,000 Total spent 305,000vnd (£10.07)
While Captain Caveman got packed, booked and paid for my taxi to the airport tomorrow morning and generally got ready to leave Saigon, I edited some blog posts.
We still had one last outing to do before Captain Caveman left and that was lunch at Bandino’s with Andrea. It’s a Tequila and Taco place down an alley near our hotel, and we’ve both been a couple of times before (but not at the same time). We all shared a jug of margarita and various tacos, plus I ordered mushrooms with cheese and there was tortillas with guacamole and chillies for Andrea and Captain Caveman. The food was lovely but I was a bit sad that Captain Caveman was going as soon as we left Bandino’s. Here’s the bill for the Mexican; 1 jug margarita 560,000 1 guacamole 120,000 1 mushrooms with cheese 150,000 1 plate of mixed tacos 695,000 5% service charge 76,250 10% VAT 160,125 Total paid 1,761,375vnd (£58.13). It wasn’t the cheapest lunch at just under £20 each but it was very nice. Andrea and I arranged to meet for a drink at 4pm but I did tell her I wouldn’t be going out out as my car for the airport was picking me up at 5.30am tomorrow and I didn’t want to risk missing my flight (like on the way here). Captain Caveman and I went back to the hotel, just having time to grab his bag and say farewell. I walked with him to the taxi and I didn’t cry as he would be arriving in Dalyan in 8 weeks and 3 days. As luck would have it, after doing my packing and walking round to Malt pub to meet Andrea, it started to rain. This meant that there was no chance of staying out as Andrea had to get a taxi to her next appointment, after catching up over just the one drink, we said our goodbyes. The rain was horrendous so my plans to go out for dinner, didn’t happen and I grabbed some snacks from the nearby Circle K for 88,000vnd (£2.90) including a croissant, some chocolate, crisps and sweets for my journey tomorrow. I had a bath, set my alarm and went to bed early – after 6 weeks and 3 days it was time to go back to Rhodes!
Tuesday 27th June was the last day that Captain Caveman and I would spend together until the end of August! To say we gave the ball a right old kick might be considered a slight understatement to some. We didn’t bother with breakfast, on account that we were still full from yesterday’s gastronomic delights. Instead, we checked out of the Common Inn before noon and got a Grab taxi over to our next hotel, La Paix Boutique Hotel, in District 1 where Captain Caveman would stay tonight and I would stay for 2 nights, before our respective flights. After dropping our bags off, we went for an early lunch at a place Captain Caveman had suggested and knew I would love! Gyoza No Chikara is a small Japanese restaurant which was probably the best food I’d had all holiday – Japanese food is one of my all time favourites. We had lots of different gyoza (dumplings), beer and edamame beans and it was all fantastic. Captain Caveman paid via his bank on his phone so I didn’t see the bill but each dish was between 80,000vnd and 138,000vnd (£2.64 and £4.55) each.
Our next stop was to another shopping centre where we went to the Lock & Lock shop. I wanted an air fryer but they didn’t have the one I wanted in stock, I also was very impressed by the heated lunch boxes but could see no reason I would need one as a grown adult. Captain Caveman eyed up a very fandangled clothes rack and he bought a shower holster gadget for 138,000vnd (£4.55), for me to take to Turkey. While we had been in the shopping centre a rain spell had been on it’s way so, as we tried to walk back to the hotel, we had to take shelter. We managed to brave the rain and break the journey up by getting as far as Malt pub, which was closed but did have a small sheltered area outside. It opened at 3pm and we went in for a quick pint before making our way round the corner to the hotel to get ready for tonight’s last night out together. Captain Caveman was not impressed that I had my shitty flipflops on which were next to useless in wet weather but we made it back without any injuries.
Captain Caveman wore one of his new shirts to go out on the town so I wore one of Fat Club Carol’s dresses, still lucky to fit in it! The Racha Room had happy hour and offers on dumplings from 5pm until 8pm so we managed a couple of hours in there. We had quite a few cocktails and loads of the dumplings, bao buns and gyoza which were delicious. Again, Captain Caveman paid so I didn’t see the bill but everything we had was 50% off, so a bargain.
Captain Caveman had been given another recommendation to try so we went to Layla’s Eatery & Bar next. It was situated on Dong Du, up some rather unsafe and very worn looking stairs – if I’d been alone, I’d have not bothered going. At the top of the stairs was a massive, and rather popular with the locals, cool establishment with a great cocktail menu. For the first drink I ordered a pornstar martini, Captain Caveman had a Salted Caramel Espresso martini – they were both excellent! My next cocktail was a Pina Colada which came served in a coconut and was super strong, while Captain Caveman played it safe with a classic whisky sour. We also ordered a cheese platter and we were very impressed – it was probably the best I’d had in Vietnam. The cocktails were only 99,000vnd each (£3.27) and the cheese platter 295,000vnd (£9.74) so we were even more impressed when we got the bill. We loved Layla’s and that Pina Colada took me almost an hour to drink! I don’t remember getting back to the hotel that night but apparently we were back before 9.30pm!
My week started on Monday 26th June with a little bit of a lay in, I wasn’t missing the Casio watch alarm. I didn’t have to work, Captain Caveman had arranged another fun filled day for us, as you’d expect, but today we actually had the day to ourselves. Usually when we are in Saigon we meet up with all our friends but this time, because we were going to be apart for awhile, it was nice to just be on our own. Our first trip of the day was a short Grab ride to another one of our favourite eateries, Lubu. We ordered a lovely breakfast each and I had a pot of earl grey tea to go with mine. The food was quite fancy although I’ve never been a fan of chefs who try to jazz up baked beans by adding chopped green stuff in to them. Our bill came to 452,000vnd (£14.92) including the service charge which was a really good deal for what we had.
After Lubu, we had an appointment with the owner of Masto Designs. Captain Caveman was after a couple of shirts so we went over to his house and workshop to try and select some. It was clear that Captain Caveman and I had very different tastes in men’s shirt patterns so I had to leave him to it while I looked through a bag of reversible sun hats. We had a great time and Captain Caveman chose 3 shirts and we both got sunhats.
After dropping off bags back at the Common Inn, our next stop was for lunch at El Camino’s on Xuan Thuy. Captain Caveman loves a Mexican and so do I if I ever get any of it without chillies. We had a couple of tacos each; me a fish and a pork, Captain Caveman a beef and a pork. They were delicious and I could’ve eaten more but we would be eating out again later. Our lunch bill came to 300,300vnd (£9.91) for 4 tacos and 2 soft drinks. We went back to the hotel room and had Buck’s Fizz using glasses from the communal rooftop kitchen, which was handy.
For dinner Captain Caveman had chosen the amusingly named french restaurant, Chtite Cuisine and off we went in a Grab taxi there. Of course, we ordered a carafe of red wine to get us started. He ordered some kind of cassoulet when it was a pretty warm night, I went for steak which I ordered medium but came still mooing and I had to send it back. The potatoes were covered in dried herbs which were a little off-putting so it wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had. I decided to go for a pudding though, Captain Caveman had pistachio ice-cream and I had apple pie with salted caramel and vanilla ice-cream, the most calories in one meal that I’d had all year! I was ready for bursting after eating all that and needed a lay down. Unfortunately, Captain Caveman had not told me that we were now meeting a friend for beers at Pasteur Street on our way home – if I’d known this I would not have eaten the dessert! We got there and I clearly had a face on and was not able to stomach drinking a beer. Captain Caveman ordered a pint of IPA, I ordered wine, which is not a good idea in a brewery really, and it was a large one. I’d just started to sip it, begrudgingly, when he said our friend had replied to say she was no longer coming – I was not happy! We were back in the hotel before 9pm, me with a terrible stomach ache, wishing I’d not eaten an apple pie and ice-cream.
Saigon was a bit cooler than Phong Nha on Sunday 25th June and the forecast looked like thunderstorms, usually in the afternoons at this time of year. We had breakfast from one of my favourite bakeries, Micro Boulangerie, very close to the Common Inn. Captain Caveman had picked up a cream cheese and cranberry baguette and a caprese sandwich. We had half each of both and they were delicious, not cheap at 280,000vnd (£9.24) but so fresh. By 9.30am we were getting out of a Grab taxi and walking round Decathlon looking for trainers for Captain Caveman. Within less than 12 minutes he’d bought some and we were on to the next shop of our extravaganza. I had a knee support on because I was having a few twinges and wasn’t really sure why. I was surprised to see that Body Shop sold something I’d been trying to find for years, Elderflower eye gel, so we got that and some moisturiser before moving on to stock up in the pharmacy. Here’s what we bought and the costs in Dong;
The Body Shop 1 Elderflower eye gel 229,000 1 face moisturiser 599,000 Total spent 828,000vnd (£27.32)
We decided we needed orange juice so that we could have Buck’s Fizz tomorrow but it was harder than you’d expect to find orange juice in Saigon. We tried a couple of shops before eventually getting some at Tops supermarket for a fairly steep 59,000vnd (£1.95).
We had to hurry along because we had an appointment to meet up with Phuong and her family at The Jetty for lunch. When we arrived, it looked like rain so I suggested we sit at a table undercover and we ordered some sparkling water. Phuong, her husband (Jonah) and their 3 extremely well behaved kids arrived and we ordered lunch. I decided a salad might be a good idea, given that I’d not been sticking to the diet and I ordered the Halloumi and asparagus salad. We were too busy chatting so I didn’t take many photos but I got a video when the rain came. After lunch, it had stopped raining, and I played fetch with a random chocolate Labrador while we waited for our Grab taxi. By 2pm we were back at the Common Inn to have a little break before our next lot of shenanigans.
Video of the rain at The Jetty
Captain Caveman and I arranged to meet our friend, Andrea, and her friend at 6pm, for wine and dinner. Captain Caveman and I met them at Soho wine bar, another one of our favourites, in Thao Dien. The red wine was an absolute treat and we had several before we had to leave to go for dinner at a swish little place called Okra, recommended earlier by Jonah.
The restaurant was a real hit and we tried lots of different tapas style dishes, drank Primitivo red wine and got free tequila shots just for knowing Phuong and Jonah! By 8pm we were hammered and I was asking the chef how he made the charred red cabbage which was my favourite dish of the night. On our way home we popped in to the pharmacy and bought the following; 1 bag 3,000 2 pack Loperamide 4,300 1 pack wet wipes 13,000 7 packs of salted lemon sweets 52,500 2 boxes Fexofenadine 260,000 Total spent 332,800vnd (£10.98)
Video of me, Captain Caveman and Andrea having our Tequila shots Captain Caveman’s video of me doing another shot of Tequila
After saying bye to Andrea and her friend, the two of us went to a bar Captain Caveman had been meaning to try which did unusual cocktails. 86 Proof might have been where we had one too many and we were heading home when we accidentally had a night cap at Mad Wine Bar, where 2 big glasses of Malbec was 270,000vnd (£8.91). I was definitely drunk as I had made Captain Caveman pose outside a well-known coffee shop with a funny Vietnamese name, so that I could get a photo. It had been a long day as we didn’t get back to the hotel until gone 11pm.
It was suddenly time to leave Phong Nha, on Saturday 24th June I’d woken up at the Glass House for the last time this year. Our flight from Dong Hoi to Saigon wasn’t until 5.40pm but I still needed to finish packing. Captain Caveman gave me a suitcase to use and I put as much stuff in as I could. We cycled to Oxalis as Captain Caveman needed to go to the office to do a couple of things and confirm our car to the airport which would come about 3.15pm. We both needed haircuts and had not had time to book them in, fortunately Captain Caveman had made appointments for both of us from 9.30am this morning. I went first, while Captain Caveman did work related things then he followed. I was the only customer as it was so early but it was going to be a hot day in Phong Nha. Nghien, our hairdresser, is affectionately called Onion by the foreigners in Phong Nha due to them not being able to say the Vietnamese pronunciation when they first got here. She’s a good hairdresser but speaks very little English so the men get a shave and short back and sides, while the women get the same haircut that Nghien herself has. I didn’t bother with a colour this time as we were in a rush but I did have a wash, head massage (which was amazing), cut and blow dry for just 100,000vnd (£3.30), a quarter of the price I pay in Dalyan and almost a tenth of the price in England. Captain Caveman went next and had the usual full works while I cycled home to finish packing.
I felt bad that there were still friends in Phong Nha who I’d not had chance to see but now there was no more time left, 30 day visas just weren’t enough. I’d been away for 6 weeks in total and it had gone so fast with still lots of things to do and see not having made it. By midday I was packed and we were having left over pizza for lunch. We still had not drunk the red wine or the champagne we bought in Thailand so Captain Caveman decided we would take the fizz with us. We were booked in at the Common Inn for 3 nights, a hotel we often stay at and really like the location of. It was too busy for us to stay any longer so Captain Caveman found us somewhere else to stay for the rest of the holiday. At 2pm we cycled to the nearest beer place, on the corner next to the Volley Ball court, on the way to the Jungle Boss homestay. We had farewell beers, at only 15,000vnd (50p) each, with Buu and Kat before I had to go back to get a shower before the car came.
Unfortunately, the car was late but finally, we were on our way to Dong Hoi airport, about 50km away from Phong Nha. Check-in was swift, we got seats sat together at the back of the plane and we could board at 5pm. Beers were an outrageous 40,000vnd (£1.32) at the airport so I didn’t bother, I’d taken some water. Captain Caveman had a couple of beers with 2 of his customers and I had some biscuits from the small shop. As I was paying the 65,000vnd (£2.15) for them, the cashier started hitting her colleague with them so I had to snatch them off her and tell her not to do that – broken biscuits anyone!? By 5.40pm we were on our way to Saigon, bye for now Phong Nha.
When we landed at Ho Chi Minh airport, Captain Caveman was reunited with 3 of his guests from the last Son Doong tour and I took a group photo while we waited for my luggage. The ‘no drama’ taxi to District 2 (Thao Dien) was 252,000vnd (£8.32) and, of course, we were both quite peckish by the time we arrived. ‘When in Rome’ we decided Baba’s Kitchen would be a great idea and got there before it closed to have an amazing Indian meal. They had Sapporo beer on draft so we both had a couple of pints of that, we shared poppadoms and samosas for starters but then Captain Caveman had Chicken 65 and and a Masala Dosa (both with lots of chillies in), I had a chicken tikka roll. The food was great and I really enjoyed our first meal in Saigon. Here’s what we paid for our delicious Indian meal; 2 plain poppadoms Free 2 spicy poppadoms 50,000 Chicken Samosa 85,000 Chicken 65 150,000 Masala Dosa 175,000 Chicken Tikka roll 135,000 4 Sapporo 240,000 Vat 83,500 Total spent 918,500vnd (£30.31)
It wasn’t the cheapest meal I’d had in Vietnam but it was certainly good value for money and we both love Baba’s Kitchen. We walked back to the hotel as it wasn’t far and we were both a bit tired from a full day. The place we had chosen to stay is an old favourite and at only 750,000vnd (£24.75) per night for a double room in Thao Dien it was perfect for us. Tomorrow we had an extremely busy day planned so it was good to get some rest at the Common Inn.
I’d finished my working hours for the week on Friday 23rd June and Captain Caveman was due back later today. I had Camembert and peanuts for breakfast (healthy A & B on Slimming World) and had a bit of a tidy up for when Captain Caveman returned. I also had started to pack for my departure back to Europe but I was going to need a suitcase. As I didn’t know when I would be back, or if I’d even get to stay for more than 30 days at a time, I decided I would take as much back to Turkey as I could. It was also at the back of my mind that it made sense not to leave things I would want, back in a country I was hardly in, should there be any reason I couldn’t fly back. I threw out a lot of clothes too, realising that I really didn’t have that many nice things that fit me any more. Before Captain Caveman had left for Son Doong we had loosely planned that it would be a good idea to have a few days in Saigon before my flight on Thursday. Captain Caveman came home and had a couple of hours before he was off to the gala dinner, he also needed to go to the cash machine in town as I had no money left whatsoever. We went to The Villa’s so that we could have a (very) late lunch and Captain Caveman had to call at Oxalis for some work related business, which meant he didn’t have time to go to the ATM but could pay by bank transfer. We both ordered pizza and I ate just 4 slices and boxed the rest up for tomorrow. I was meant to be meeting the Wiringi’s, Andrew, Kat, Chung and Tatas to go for food and drink in town somewhere this evening, but as the afternoon went on it was apparent that a lot of them were busy. Captain Caveman had booked flights to Saigon for tomorrow night and so this was my last night in Phong Nha, even though I wasn’t leaving Vietnam for another 6 days. He had time off so it would be good to get away from the heat for a bit by heading south! Internal flights are quick and cheap and the cost was definitely less than £50 including my luggage! Captain Caveman got picked up for his gala dinner and Kat joined me at The Villa’s for dinner. I managed to polish off 4 glasses of white wine and a spaghetti bolognese before Captain Caveman got back. Kat had a Caeser salad and a hot chocolate. When Captain Caveman returned, we shared a bottle of red wine and tried to suss out what time tomorrow I needed to have packed by! The bottle of wine and my spaghetti bolognese came to 590,000vnd (£19.47) as decent wine isn’t cheap in Vietnam. After saying bye to Kat, with big hugs and hoping to be able to see her and Buu tomorrow before I left for Saigon, we cycled home in the dark for the last time. I went to sleep that night for the last time at the Glass House in Phong Nha.
I was back at Victory Road Villas again on Thursday 22nd June having the same as yesterday for breakfast; pho ga, fresh coconut and jasmine tea. It was delicious and easily my favourite breakfast – I would miss it when I left Vietnam. I had just 1 week left until my visa expired and I would be flying out of Saigon airport, heading for Rhodes! At 6am it was less than 30°C, by 8.30am it was hotting up but I really seemed to be finally getting a little more accustomed to it. I had a fruit salad with muesli and sugar free yoghurt before cycling home in 37°C, almost unfazed!
Here’s my bill from The Villa’s for my breakfast and lunch;
Jasmine tea 30,000 Fresh coconut 50,000 Pho Ga 75,000 Fruit, muesli, yoghurt 95,000 Total cost 250,000vnd (£8.25)
I worked from home in the afternoon but then got ready for my night out with several friends. I decided to wear Carol’s white dress again (no one noticed the pocket last time) and I popped Steve’s sunglasses in to my bag as I was off for sunset at the Phong Nha Farmstay. Bich, the owner, had booked me a taxi, for 200,000vnd (£6.60) each way, to pick me up at 5pm from the Glass House, I then picked up Kat from her house and Tatas from her’s. We’d all wore dresses so we looked nice and we were excited for sundowner cocktails at the Farmstay. This was my first visit this year so it was nice to be back and see everyone, including the lovely staff. Melissa and her family were there and it was great to see them again, the last time had been in Hoi An over a year ago. Bich came to join us and I got to briefly see Michael and Howie, Ben (their dad) was back in Australia. Andrew, Trang and a couple of extra kids were there to say hello and Hawk was visiting from Hoi An too. It was great to see everyone while drinking our 2 for 1 cocktails but I did feel like I couldn’t give everyone my full attention. I didn’t know it at the time but this was probably the last time I would see most of these friends this year. Gin and tonics were 50,000vnd (£1.65) for 2, my rum and coke was a little more at 65,000vnd (£2.15) so we had a few before going on to the wine. I ordered my favourite dish, the beef in bamboo, Tatas had a chicken salad and Kat chose the sausage sandwich and chips. Kat had a carrot cake for dessert and I had a spoon of it, Tatas had a chocolate brownie with ice cream which I resisted. Even though I’d put some weight back on, my new clothes still fit fine and I wanted it to stay that way.
For those wondering, here was our bill at the Phong Nha Farmstay with the prices in Dong;
4 X 2 for 1 G&T 200,000 2 X 2 for 1 R&C 130,000 Sausage sandwich 145,000 Chicken salad 120,000 Beef in Bamboo 210,000 Carrot cake 70,000 Brownie 120,000 1 bottle house wine 400,000 2 bottles (not house) wine 1,040,000 Total bill including service + tax/vat came to 2,812,425vnd (£92.81).
We didn’t leave until gone midnight, it had been a brilliant evening which would actually turn out to have been my leaving party!
Wednesday 21st June should’ve been a weigh day but we have no scales in Phong Nha. I did do my measurements and found the results not to be too bad; Bust no change, Waist +2cm, Hips no change, Right Thigh +0.5cm, Right Calf -1cm, Left Thigh +1cm, Left Calf no change. My thighs now measured the same as each other but my calves had a 1cm difference. I watched the sun rise from the bedroom window, watched some cookery show on Netlfix then got ready for a day away from the heat of the Glass House. I was more used to the hot room now but it was still unpleasant once the sun heated up the roof. I decided to cycle to Victory Road Villas to work there and had pho, fresh coconut and jasmine tea for breakfast. For lunch I had the chicken, lettuce and bacon sandwich with french fries which was very tasty and filling. This meant I wouldn’t need any dinner so, when I finished work around 8.30pm, I just had an apple and some peanuts. I’d spent 400,000vnd (£13.20) and I’d not used the pool as I didn’t have time. This holiday I had not been swimming very much at all and I did miss having a pool. I had an early night because tomorrow I had plans to meet up with friends and go out out! The Wiringi’s, our New Zealand friends, were back in Phong Nha for a visit and they were staying at the Phong Nha Farmstay.
On Tuesday 20th June Captain Caveman was off back in to the cave for the last time while I was in Vietnam. We were obviously up before the Casio watch alarm and I was replying to a message from my sister just after. I had booked us all in to a music bingo night at Lukka bar in Dalyan for when we were all there next month. We went to Oxalis Home but didn’t have any breakfast as Captain Caveman often just has a coffee. I went to see Captain Caveman off from Ho Khanh’s homestay and say hello to a few of the Oxalis team, including Yen who is due her third child in 4 months time. Captain Caveman left, I went back to the Glass House and had a cereal bar and yoghurt for breakfast. I got on with some work and had a cheese spread sandwich for lunch. Tonight there was another meet up of the Lazy Ladies Club (LLC), I finished work at 4.45pm so that I could have a shower and get ready. Unfortunately the bread at lunch, which is sweet, hadn’t agreed with me and I had a bad stomach!
Chung met me at Bamboo Cafe (now called Bamboo Chopsticks Restaurant) as she’d cycled to work today and was already in town. Kat also joined us and had to walk because her caver boyfriend, Buu, had accidentally taken the motorbike keys with him and wasn’t back from work yet. We were now the current CWAGs (Cavers Wives and Girlfriends) and had lots in common where our other halves were concerned. I still had a bad stomach and spent the first 10 minutes in the toilet at Bamboo and then just ordered water to drink to take my imodium with. Chung ordered fresh pork and prawn spring rolls, Kat ordered the veggie volcanoes and I had sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice. The food was great and I managed to enjoy the dinner. Buu arrived with the keys and Kat had to leave for an appointment before 7.30pm. What should have been a Lazy Lady Club healthy Tuesday evening should probably have come to a close then, but it didn’t!
I was about ready to call it a night and cycle home, when Chung suggested we go for one drink at Central Backpackers Hostel. At 7.30pm we cycled there, narrowly missing an overtaking bus and parked up in the busy car park. The first thing I noticed was that there were no fans and it was very hot and humid! Could I survive a drink in this place? We went to the bar and Chung ordered in Vietnamese for her drink and I couldn’t decide which healthy drink to go for. I asked for fresh coconut which they didn’t have so I ordered a Huda beer! Chung laughed as she had a soft drink and I was already on the booze. As we went to sit down outside, where it was just as hot as anywhere else and had mozzies, we noticed there were a lot of tourists here. Then we spotted it; it was Cocktail Night and happy hour was 8.30-9.30pm with buy one get one free. We waited until 8.30pm then tried the I Love You and a Mojito. It was a bargain at 70,000vnd (£2.31) per cocktail anyway and then we got a free one! So it was 8.36pm and we had 2 cocktails each and they were really good! The I love You was like a White Russian and the Mojito had enough alcohol in it!
By 9.01pm Chung had bought us another I Love You and a Pina Colada each, by this point the bar staff had started to give us plastic cups. By 9.15pm I was back at the bar, taking photos of the staff, Chung’s friends, and at 9.18pm I came back with a Cosmopolitan and a Blue Ocean each and we’d still not spent 500,000vnd, the equivalent of £16.50! We proceeded to drink through our triple parked cocktails after happy hour finished and were grateful we weren’t there on a Wednesday, for Bucket night. It’s worth mentioning we thought we were fine for cycling home, just a little merry I would say. The chef thought differently and decided to accompany us home, even stopping at Chung’s work to pick up a bag and riding her motorbike super slowly at the side of us. At one point it was too slow for me and I needed a pee so I overtook her and zoomed off on Bluey. I waited once I got to the Glass House to say bye and thanks for a great night and then realised the chef had to ride back to where she lived. No doubt, while our Cavers were away, we’d be the talk of the town as it was after 11pm! When I got in I was peckish and ate an entire bag of marshmallows which I didn’t remember doing, Chung got in and cooked a whole meal as she was starving! I lay in bed thinking it was genius to name the best cocktail ‘I Love You’ so that the bartenders were constantly hearing this!
joloyolo 